Index.



No. 677,384. Patented July 2, I901.

6., G. THBOOP & W. L. HENDRICKS.

I N D E X (Application filed Sept. 5. 1900.)

2 Shaets-$heet I.

(No Model.)

m: namm vflzns ca. FNOYO-UTHO-, WASNINGTON, u. c.

No. 677,384. Patented 'July 2, l90l.

C. G. THBOUP &. W. L. HENDRICKS.

INDEX.

(Application filed Sept. 5, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' HE norms FEIERS cc. PNOl'QLlTHO WASHINGTON. c. c.

' NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES G. TIIROOP AND WALTER LaHE NDRICKS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INDEX.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 677,384, dated July 2, 1901. Application filed September 5, 1900. Serial No. 29|059. (N0 model-3 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES G. THROOP and WVALTER L. HENDRICKS, citizens of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Indexes, of which the following is a specifica- 'tion.

This invention relates to the construction of index-books such as are used ordinarily by bookkeepers. Our endeavor in the invention has been to provide a practical index having the leaves indexed on both sides in such manner that the entire index will be visible to the user no matter where the book is opened-that is to say, the book embodies both a right-hand index and a left-hand index, and at the same time the index projections or tags overlap each other and do not project beyond the covers.

The invention consists in ,the novel features hereinafter set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings we show at Figure 1 a plan of the index opened. Fig. 2 is a perspective showing it closed. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section. Fig. 4 is a front edge view. Fig. 5 shows one of the indexingtags in the flat prior to its attachment to the leaf, and Fig. 6 is a detail section of the leaf and tag. Fig. 7 is a partial plan of one of the leaves.

In the drawings, A A represent the front and back leaves of the cover,and B B are the index-leaves bound therein. The leaves 13 carry at their side edges projections O 0', one of which is shown detached at Fig. 5. These projections are preferably formed of tough paper or cloth doubled along the dotted line and pasted to the leaves, the latter being preferably provided with an integralprojecting portion 5, extending in between the sides of the doubled projections O O. The index characters are printed upon both halves of the projections O C, so that one side thereof may form part of the right-hand index and the other side thereof form part of the lefthand index, the index characters being at the bottom in the right-hand surface and at the top in the left-hand surface, so that the overlapping of the projections will not obscure the printing. The horizontal zones upon which the printing occurs in the projections attached to the several leaves embraced in any one alphabetical division of the book vary from one another in the extent of their projections from the side line of the sheet. In other words, the lettered portions of the projections included in each letter are stepped relatively and horizontally, so that the finger may be placed on any one of the series preparatory to opening the book at that point, and this is possible wherever the book is open at the time. This stepping is obtained by notching the lettered portions of the projections both at the top and bottom to different widths, as plainly shown. The leaves of the index are cut to a common line both above and below the index projections.

-With the tags applied as set forth, the user always has presented to his eye when the book is opened the complete alphabet. If he opens it at the letter M, as in the drawings, all of the alphabet preceding that letter will be shown in the left-hand index, while all following it will be shown in the right-hand index. If the book is opened at the letter A, the entire rightrhand index will be presented to view, while if opened at the letter Z the entire left-hand index will be visible. The user therefore is not obliged when the book is opened at one letter and he wishes to find a name under another letter to throw the whole index together, so as to enable him to bring the whole of the alphabet under his eye, which he would ordinarily do with the indexes heretofore used, but instead thereof having the whole alphabet and its subdivisions before him, either wholly in the righthand or wholly in the left-hand index, or partly in both, he is able at once to place his finger upon the leaf containing the name he desires to look up. He thus saves both time and labor, being enabled, no matter at what point the book is opened at the time, to turn directly and without loss of time to the page desired.

The covers of the book are notched out, as shown at E, F, G, and H. These notches may be, and we prefer that they should be, so located that the users thumb or finger when placed in the notch will be at or near one end, either top or bottom, of the indexes. Thus the notch E is located so that the finger will come in proximity to the letter A of the right-hand index, while the notchF islocated opposite the lower end of that index. By the notch G the user gains ready access to the left-hand index at its bottom, and at the notch H he opens opposite the middle of the left-hand index. These notches are useful in giving direct access to the index in proximity to the leaf desired, and they may be located as specified or at other points de sired.

The leaves inside and next to the covers are both provided with stiffening-strips J, applied to their front edges. intended to protect the tags, and they preferably extend slightly beyond the latter and far enough to be flush with the covers, as seen at Fig. 3. They should be notched in the same manner as the covers are notched. WVe also apply to these stiffening-strips longitudinal tapering filling-strips K, which are designed to fill the open spaces between the edges of the covers and under and over the tags at the front edge of the book. port the covers and prevent their breaking or bending inward.

The tags are substantially uniform in shape, as will be understood from Fig. 1, except in the width of the printed zones thereof and in the matter of their height. In the preferred construction we cut the sheets B with integral projections b, shaped and sized to correspond with the folded covers 0 O, as that obviates the necessity of extending the tag or its cover back onto the parts of the These strips are' They supsheets needed for writing. The projections may, however, be made in any suitable manner.

We claim- 1. The right and left hand index-book having a plurality of leaves for each principal letter, and each leaf being provided with a part projecting from the side thereof and printed upon both faces so as to form duplicate indexes, and the leaves being cut to a common side line both above and below the index projections, the entire alphabet and its subdivisions being visible wherever the book is opened, the printing upon the face of the projections serving in the right-hand index being at the bottom of the projections and the printing upon the face serving in the lefthand index being at the top of the projections, and the printed portions of the projections varying in width in horizontal directions, substantially as specified.

2. The right and left hand index-book hav ing a plurality of leaves for each principal letter, and each leaf provided with aside index projection printed upon both faces, the leaves being cut to a common line both above and below the projections, and the projections being notched at top and bottom, substantially as specified.

CHARLES G. THROOP. WALTER L. HENDRICKS.

Vitnesses:

Enw. S. EVARTS, MARTIN J OHNSRUD. 

